I went with my grandmother, Iris Pylant, when I was 5 years old to buy a 45-RPM single of Jimmy Dean singing Big Bad John.  She and I listened to it, over and over, the rest of that day.

Every mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed 245
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John

(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Nobody seemed to know where John called home
Just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much he kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said hi to Big John
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land, Big John

(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and men started cryin'
Miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd breath their last 'cept John
Through the dust and the smoke of this manmade hell
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well
Grabbed a saggin' timber and gave out with a groan
And like a giant oak tree he just stood there alone Big John

(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

And with all of his strength he have a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out, 'There's a light up above!'
And twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
Now there's only one left down there to save, Big John
With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And the smoke and gas belched out of the mine
Everybody knew it way the end of the line for Big John

(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
These few words're written on that stand
'At the Bottom of This Mine Lies a Big, Big Man. Big John”

(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John Big John) Big Bad John